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Sunday October 10, 2010
TM faces cable heist woes
By ZAZALI MUSA
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BATU PAHAT: Telekom Malaysia Bhd is losing at least RM50mil annually to cable thieves nationwide. Although they had installed alarm systems in major exchange stations, thieves still attempted to steal the cables, its chief executive officer Datuk Seri Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa said. He said forced entry into the stations would trigger the alarm system automatically, causing intruders to flee the scene without the loot.
Nevertheless, Zamzamzairani said the cables would still have to be replaced as the thieves would have cut them. “To reduce cable thefts, we have gradually replaced the existing copper cables with fibre optics. “Despite that, the thieves still cut the fibre optics thinking they are copper cables,” he told reporters yesterday at the launch of its PINTAR programme at SK Seri Bandan, Ayer Hitam by Johor state executive councillor for education and higher learning Datuk Maulizan Bujang.
Under the programme, the company had adopted the school from 2010 until 2012, allocating RM200,000 for various activities including training and workshops for teachers and pupils. Zamzamzairani said Johor was one of the hotspots for cable theft. “Cable theft is rampant because of the demand for copper. Now, a kilogramme of copper is RM15; last year it was RM13,” he said.
